Yardage indicator or marker for football gridirons



Sept. 22, 1931.

F. A. WARRENET AL ,824,643

YARDGE INDICATOR QR MARKER FOOTBALL GRIDIRONS Filed April 10, 1930 of m E GOAL LINE m /0 /3 /0 E :0 r0, G

I i i I Z I I I 4 I l i 1 I I I 4 I l I 4 l I -/0 g g i i gwuwntoz 4 Efl.%fl6fl liifiornZy Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES- A ENT F ice FREDERICK A. WARREN AND EDGAR A. HoRNBY, or FLAN RE U, SOUTH DAKOTA YARDAGE INDICATOR R ARKER; I foRroo'r ALL GRIDIRONS Application f led April 10,

'body portion '10 and atop wall 11. The marker ishollowand the side walls 10 are thicker at their edges than at their upper This invention relates to marking devices and particularly to means for marking and indicating the yard lines on a football playing field. At the present time, ongridirons or football fields, markers are used on each side of the football field showing-the different yard lines, these markers being to provide a plurality of sides, each side conground opposite each yard line 13 on the playing field Aand markers will also preferably be disposed oppositethe goal line 14. The markers= upon their several sideswill display a number indicating the: yardage taining the number denoting the yard line with which the marker'is associated, these numbers being so disposed that the spectators may see the number of the yard line from any portion of the field, thus particularly in a stadium where the spectators are seated all around the field, conveying to the spectators the exact'location of where a ball is put in play, where it is placed out of bounds, much more readily than"where'numbers are placed on only one side of the field, these markers also being of such dimensions and form as to be readily observable by the 9 players themselves at a glance to either side of the field.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representa tion of a portion of a playing fielder-"gridiron showing our markers in place;-

Figure 2 is an elevation of a marker constructed 1n accordance with our lnventlon; Figure 3 1s a vertical sect onal view there-f derstood that the improved marker is to be Referring to Figures 2 and 3, it will be unmade of rubber in the form of a many-sided 1930. Serial No. 443,167.

portions where they merge into the top portion 11. Preferably, for instance, though we I do not wish'tobe limited to these dimensions,

the marker will have a'total height of'about :fourteen inches and a width at its base of fourteen inches, while the walls .11 will. be five-sixteenths of an inch at their lower edges, thinning I upward to .three-sixteenths of. inch Where they join the-top: 11. The top 111 mav be made, in one piece with the sides or of a separate piece and'cemented to the sides or attached thereto in any suitable and centrally rounded andformed at its apex with an aperture.l2 through which a finger may be passed to ever desired. f

The markers are designed to rest upon the shift the markers when numeral 10 arranged on all four sides of the marker. While we preferably make markers square in cro-ss'section, we do not wish to be limited to this, as the markers might have other forms in cross section. Preferably the top will be rounded,but we do not-wish to be limitedto this. Markers of this character. will be'observablefrom all parts ofna stadium, for instance, or other i field within which the game is played, both by thespecta- I tors and; the playerswhereas markers thatlie fiat upon the ground like the metal markers ordinarily used are not readily observable. from different pointsof a stadium. These markersvare observable from either the ends of'the stadium or from the: sides of the stadium andpre'ferably two series of markersv will be used, one on each side of the gridiron. Inasmuch as the markers are of rubber and hollow, they cannot injure any player who p .ma'nne'r, The'top11:ispreferablyupwardly may accidently strike against them or fall upon them.

While we have heretofore referred to rubber as being the material from which the markers are to be made, it is to be understood that any equivalent material might be used, that is, material which would have suflicient stiffness to stand up and retain its shape and yet sufiicient softness as to prevent injury when run into by a player. We claim I r i 1 1. A marker ,of the character described formed of a hollow india rubber body, having sufiicient elasticity to be readily bent upon 15 itself, but sufficient rigidity to stand upright, V

the marker beingformed with a plurality of side faces, eachfacehaving thereon a numeral indicating the yardage of aparticular yard line on av playing field.

1 2. A marker of the character described,

square in cross section and hollow, the mark- 7 er being made of rubber and having an up- 1 v wardly rounded top portion formed with a central aperture, the side faces of the marker ,7 i 25 displaying numerals indicating distance from a yard line-to a goal.

3.@As an article of manufacture, a marker for football fields formed from a hollow body of rubber, the marker being many sided $0 in cross section and having each face displaying the same numeral indicating distance from a yard line toa goal, the top of the marker being upwardly rounded and having a central aperture. v

35 p 4. A marker of the character described formed of a hollow body'of rubber having sufficient elasticity to be readily deformed, but sutficient'rigidity tostand upright, the marker'being formed with a plurality of in- 40 tegral walls andhaving an upwardly rounded top wall, thesidesof the marker extending downward and outward for the display of vindicia thereon, the marker resting entirely on the lower edges of the side walls and being 11; of suflicient crosssectional area to permit it to rest thereon in a position of stable equilibrium. v V

5. A marker of the character described formed of a hollow body of elastic material, I

t) the body having downwardly extending side -walls adapted to rest upon the ground, the body as a whole having sufficient elasticity to be readily deformed but sufficient rigidity to stand upright,rthe marker being of sufiicient jcross-se'ctional area to permit it to rest on fi o In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures.- v v .FREDERICK A. WARREN.

1 i EDGAR A. HORNBY.

.. its side walls in a position of stable equilibl 5 

